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Home My WebLink About1994-03-22 - AGENDA REPORTS - RITTER RANCH PROJECT (2)AGENDA REPORT CitAManagerAApp4roval CONSENT CALENDAR DATE: March 22, 1994 SUBJECT: RITTER RANCH PROJECT COUNCIL DEPARTMENT: Community Development BACKGROUND Item to be presented by: Lynn M. Harris CONTACT FROM LEONA VALLEY TOWN On February 9, 1994, Community Development staff met with two members of the Leona Valley Town Council (LVTC) regarding their concern with the Ritter Ranch development in Palmdale. At issue is the proposed widening of Elizabeth Lake Road, between Godde Hill Road and Bouquet Canyon Road, from two to four lanes. As this area is not within the City of Palmdale, Palmdale has approached Los Angeles County for permission to do the required work. The County is currently considering this request. We believe the LVTC will oppose the widening, and have verified that Supervisor Antonovich is skeptical of the need to widen the road in this area, but has reached no final decision to oppose it. Leona Valley Town Councilmembers Paul Sloane and Mark Johnstone want the City of Santa Clarita to reenter the Ritter Ranch debate and oppose the widening in this area. While they are aware of the City's position on the Ritter Ranch project, they reason that the Northridge earthquake may give cause to the City to reconsider its position, Santa Clarita's previous letters and involvement in the Ritter Ranch project called for better traffic work, and also called specifically for the widening of Elizabeth Lake Road from Godde Hill Road east toward the Antelope Valley Freeway. (See attached letter of January 21, 1992.) We Informed Mr. Sloane and Mr. Johnstone of the Council's position, and indicated we would apprise the City Council of the LVTC's concern, without recommending that the Council change its current position. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council receive and file this report, and direct staff to draft a letter reiterating Its current position to the Leona Valley Town Council. ATTACHMENTS 1. Letter of January 21, 1992 to Mayor Knight 2. Map - Existing Traffic Volumes 3. Map - Future Traffic Volumes co nc,Mmr.dmw Agenda ltem: • i i Of I Santa Clarita 23920 vaienua Blvo. Suite 30.0 City of Santa Clarita California 9 1355 January 21, 1992 Phone (6u5) 259.2489 Fax (805(259-8125 Honorable Wm. J. Knight, Mayor City of Palmdale 38300 North Sierra Highway Palmdale, California 93550 Re: Ritter Ranch - City of Santa Clarita Traffic and Related Concerns for the Project Dear Mayor Knight, Thank you for the opportunity 'to testify at the January 13, 1992 City Council meeting on our traffic and related concerns over the proposed Ritter Ranch. We believe a good deal of important information was made available at the meeting. • Our mutual staffs have met since that meeting to discuss some of the technical issues; primarily traffic flow to and from the project. We appreciate this opportunity to learn more about the specifics of the project. Mr. Tom Horne, the City's Traffic and Transportation Engineer was extremely helpful. Our staff has reviewed the information made available by Mr. Horne. This information included a copy of the Traffic Modeling Study conducted by DKS associates which formed the basis for the traffic and circulation section of the draft EIB. Mr. Horne was also able to amend the estimated volume of traffic from Ritter Ranch that would be expected to use Bouquet Canyon Road from 100 trips per day to 600 daily trips. Our staff reports that the DKS study was conducted on a subregional basis using 23 separate projects,. including Ritter Ranch as the assumed land use scenario. The study also assumed the completion of the circulation network throughout the area. Little or no specific information was made available regarding the impacts of Ritter Ranch on a short or long-term basis. We have concerns over the ability to recognize these specific impacts in order to mitigate them as they materialize. We strongly believe that adoption of the Ritter Ranch<�Specific� Plea and as's6ciaEed dociiineats as velas''certification.of„the ., EIRE,=would'-`be"Inappropriate based mon the limited specific;, information made'available.in this study. _ • 395` is Mr. Wm J. Knight January 21, 1992 Page 2 We still have concerns over the projected increase in traffic on Bouquet Canyon Road; he it 100 trips, 600 trips, or 6,000 trips. Obviously 100 or 600 trips per day increase would have minimal impact on Santa Clarita. An increase to 7,500 to 8,800 trips per day, as depicted in the DRS model as the forecasted daily traffic at buildout (Table 4-2) is, however, extremely worrysome to us. This value has caused us to shift our concerns somewhat away from the Ritter Ranch project and toward the buildout of the Antelope Valley as currently proposed. It becomes clearer to us, both the technical staff and the policy makers in Santa Clarita, that the real issue here.,,13=1+the The DRS study identified numerous locations in the city of Palmdale that are forecasted to operate well over your stated goal of Level of Service "C" at buildout. Examples from Table 4-2 of the report are: • Elizabeth Lake Road from 25th Street through to • 10th Street West. (LOS -E S F) • Ritter Ranch Road from 20th Street West to Tierra Subida. (LOS -E) • Bridge Road from Elizabeth Lake Road to City Ranch Road. (LOS -F) • 25th Street West from Avenue P-8 to Elizabeth Lake Road. (LOS -S) You may be .wondering why we are concerned about the level of traffic service on those streets in Palmdale. We see the level of service on the streets designed to be the major arterials servinq Ritter Ranch and the balance of the southwest area of Antelope Valley as extremely important to Santa Clarita. We view the use of Bouquet Canyon Road today as primarily the result of frustration over more acceptable routes. Continuing to frustrate those trips by promoting greater levels of delay on alternative routes would simply serve to further impact Santa Clarita. • 396 Mr. Wm J. knight January 21, 1992 Page 3 • � t The proximity of Ritter Ranch and the southwest area of the City of Santa Clarita has also became a topic of discussion. It has been reported that the distance along Bouquet Canyon Road from the nearest point of Ritter Ranch to the closest intersection in Santa Clarita is nearly 25 miles. Typically, this distance is sufficient for all ,potentially impacting traffic to be absorbed into the community or surrounding area. We believe Bouquet Canyon Road to be substantially different than the typical situation. Once a traveler leaves the southwest area of the antelope Valley on Bouquet Canyon Road there is virtually no place to be absorbed into the community until you reach Santa Clarita. We envision Santa Clarita Valley as being a prime jobs provider for residents of the Antelope Valley. The County of Los Angeles, for instance, recently approved a 12,000,000 square foot industrial project at Interstate 5 and State Route 126. We see Bouquet Canyon road to Copperhill Road (Rye Canyon) being a fairly attractive route between Palmdale and this major employment center regardless of the intervening distance. t7tesaSactors3n1ai4d; e„xec�apec ullyx request;, that the trnfffc f acts f the opiIdQptcft�h1n^telope,llleyaad the • s'oii'tih""we; eaL.- spec f� p Se�'a ful y" reexamined tiefore gapprovala.,g3venxto�8itteR ch. We believe you will find, as we have, that some of those impacts may be difficult, if not financially impossible, to mitigate as projects come to realization. We recommend that specific studiesbe conducted to measure the short and long-term impacts of Ritter Ranch before the specific plan is adopted and the EIB certified. On the subject of mitigation, we want to take this opportunity to support your staff's position on widening several roadways serving the southwest area and Ritter Ranch specifically. Those roadways are= • City Ranch Road between Bridge Road and Tierra Subida. • Ritter Ranch Road, widen to four lanes from Elizabeth Lake Road to Avenue S. Mr. Horne indicates that the applicant does not believe these improvements necessary or within the responsibility of the project. Mr. Horne's analysis of the study •^concludes that these improvements are essential to providing needed highway • capacity between Ritter Ranch and State Route 14. 397 - Mr. Wm J. Knight ,r January 21, 1992 Page 4 He strongly agree with this analysis. We believe that every effort should be made to improve the level of service throughout the travel corridor between Ritter Ranch and downtown Palmdale in order to minimize the impacts to Bouquet Canyon Road and the City of Santa Clarita. We are also reminded of concerns for capacity on the freeway expressed by Caltrans at the January 13, 1992 meeting. We appreciate this opportunity' to clarify our 'concerns for Ritter Ranch and the ultimate buildout of the Antelope Valley. If there is anything we can do to assist the city of Palmdale in examining these issues, we would be pleased to offer whatever aid at our disposal. Sincerely, Jill Klalic Mayor ED:LI-M:dls:399 • 0 39 ,I , ry p EXISTIING TRAFFIC VOLUMES AVERAGE DAILY TRIPS (ADT) � �T "'s P. eouWet canton Va. 21200, is r. l 1 I I I I I PROPOSED RMER RANCH Note: 1 1 � 1 r-- � I I 1o 1. ADT data from the City of Palmdale General Plan. 2. ADT data for listed roads from 1990 DKS traffic study, data not included in City of Palmdale General Plan. A) Elizabeth Lake rd west of Bouquet Canyon rd B) Elizabeth Lake rd between Bouquet Canyon and Godde hill rd r— - C) Bouquet Canyon rd I Attachment I FUTURE TRAFFIC VOLUMES, AVERAGE DAILY TRIPS (ADT) fj/y`ta4e goug0°t ca"10" Elizabeth Lake rd, 4 lane, 19,900 ADT, Los A �,DT, 1 _ Y laM. 6800 f 1 I I Ave N, 6 lanes, 40,000 `d 4 1.000 C/ CY�nc6,'d M fOOO '1O T <pa1 Los C g e �I d a' I Ave P, 6 lanes 1 Hr//a dr .00p /ve 1 6/a"1. SJ 'fir, tOS4 4 /a"°• IPS Op T, tOs f Palmdale Blvd. Mr tos B L Ave k 6 lanes ade Y5,000 ADT, f p, .b I r PROPOSED RCITER RANCH 1o1 c Ave s, 6 lanes I ] I 1 Note: 1. ADT data from the City of Palmdale General Plan. 2. ADT data for listed roads from 1990 DKS traffic study for year 2010, IL— _ - I data not Included in City of Palmdale General Plan. A) Elizabeth Lake rd west of Bouquet Canyon rd B) Elizabeth Lake rd between Bouquet Canyon and Godde hill rd C) Bouquet Canyon rd Attachment 2